It was expected that there were going to be some growing
pains and a period of transition when the New England Patriots decided to
replace longtime slot receiver Wes Welker with Amendola this offseason, and
that process is still ongoing as the Patriots prepare to host the Indianapolis
Colts Saturday night in an AFC divisional playoff game.

"It's ongoing," Amendola said. "You know, that's why we
practice every day. It will get better with time and with experience together."

There were moments during the regular season when Brady and
Amendola looked like they'd been playing together for years, but there were also
several awkward moments and missed opportunities, which makes it clear their
chemistry is still incubating.

In the beginning it appeared Amendola would have
no issue replacing Welker. He wasted no time breaking out, catching 10 passes
for 104 yards, seven on third downs, during a Week 1 win over the
Buffalo Bills. With result in the balance, Brady went to Amendola four times on
the final drive of the 23-21 win, which is biggest compliment the quarterback
can give one of his receivers.

Getting together in California during the offseason for
throwing sessions, practices, and extra time watching film – all that extra work
was paying off. It was going to help people -- including those in the huddle –
forget about Welker. But that isn't what happened. Instead, Amendola finished
the season with 54 catches for 633 yards with two touchdowns.

But those numbers don't tell the whole story. Amendola
suffered a groin injury in the opener and missed the next three games,
robbing him the opportunity to build on his early momentum and grow in the
offense. While he was out, Julian Edelman
emerged as Brady's top target and has held tight to that distinction, not
that the competition to be Brady's top guy has been fierce.

When Amendola returned to the lineup, he did so quietly. In
his first game back, a Week 5 loss to Cincinnati Bengals, he caught four
passes for 55 yards. Then, despite playing 49 of 88 snaps, 31 of which were
passing plays, he did not catch a pass the next week against the New Orleans
Saints. Week 7 saw him catch three passes for 15 yards during a win over the
Miami Dolphins.

Finally, with his limp reduced, the slot receiver broke out
for 122 yards on four receptions the next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers,
including a 57-yard touchdown. The game showed what Brady and Amendola are
capable of, but it was only a glimmer.

"We're still working at it today," Brady said. "We're just
continuing to talk through things and situations. When you haven't had years
and years of experience, you use as much time as you can to really communicate
what you need to."

Perhaps it was unfair to place Welker-like expectations on
Amendola considering that he hasn't had the "years and years of experience"
that is often required to truly thrive alongside Brady. And perhaps it should
have been expected that Edelman (105 catches, 1,056 yards, six touchdowns)
would emerge as the top receiver in New England's offense after spending
several years working with Brady behind the scenes as Welker's understudy.

Still, despite the bumps, there was enough good this season
to provide hope that Brady and Amendola will eventually get to that point, but
it is also evident that the two still need to have several conversations and
shared experiences before that happens.

Though there were several moments when Brady looked for
other options despite Amendola being open, New England's Week 14 game against
the Cleveland Browns provided two prime examples.

The first instance occurred when Brady looked at an open
Amendola heading toward the left corner of the the end zone but instead delivered a more difficult pass to Edelman down the middle between
two defenders. The Patriots still got the touchdown, though it was a telling
moment. Later on, during the fourth quarter, Brady spotted Amendola in the left
flat, but instead scanned the field for Edelman, who was on the right side,
only to find him covered. With all of his options dried up, Brady was forced
into an intentional grounding penalty.

Staying true to form, which is to say no form,
Amendola turned the connection back on the next week against Miami by catching
10 passes for 131 yards.

Despite the ups and downs, Amendola is confident that
everything will eventually work out. Maybe that happens as soon as
Saturday night against the Colts.

"I'm optimistic about everything," he said. "I feel like
we had a good day today, and we'll try to have a good day tomorrow."

If Amendola gets enough of those good days under his belt,
the rest will take care of itself.